Eli Lilly has announced a further commitment of $6.5m to the US Fund for UNICEF during the World Health Assembly (27 May to 1 June 2024) in Geneva to expand UNICEF’s work to improve the health outcomes of children and adolescents at risk of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) in India.
The new funding builds on Lilly’s initial commitment of $14.4m, announced in 2022, bringing the company’s total commitment to more than $20m.
In alignment with Lilly’s 30×30 initiative to improve access to quality health care for 30 million people living in resource-limited settings annually by 2030, the collaboration with UNICEF aims to help ten million children and adolescents living with chronic NCDs through 2025 by addressing NCD risk factors, strengthening health systems and enhancing the ability of healthcare workers to care for patients in Bangladesh, Malawi, Nepal, the Philippines, Zimbabwe, and now in health resource-limited settings in India.
The burden of NCDs is disproportionately felt by low-income countries, communities and the most vulnerable people, such as children and adolescents.
In 2019, NCDs accounted for 66% of all deaths in India, 22% of which were premature, according to the World Health Organization NCD database.
In addition, 70% of preventable adult deaths in India from NCDs are linked to risk factors that start in adolescence.
The additional funding will support UNICEF when supporting millions of children and their families with diseases such as type 1 diabetes, respiratory illnesses, rheumatic and congenital heart disease and sickle cell disease.
Luigi D’Aquino, chief of health, UNICEF India, commented: “UNICEF will work with governments and partners to strengthen health systems to effectively manage NCDs in children and young people” and “help integrate efforts into maternal, newborn and child health programmes, emphasising prevention and management of childhood NCDs”.
Cynthia Cardona, head of social impact, Lilly, commented: “These efforts are critical to working towards changing the global landscape of NCDs and improving health outcomes for children and adolescents living in resource-limited areas in India.”
Since announcing the collaboration in 2022, UNICEF has screened hundreds of children for NCDs, trained over 2,000 health workers and reached more than 350,000 families with awareness messages on NCD prevention.